Information about this condition in both men and women

Hair Loss

HAIR LOSS
* Blondes have about 140,000 hairs on the head, brunettes 105,000 and redheads 90,000, but it's more thickness of the individual strands that gives hair it's `body'.

* Hair grows about half an inch per month for about 6 years. It then enters a period of rest for 3 months, and is then shed. Each hair follicle produces about 12 healthy hairs in a lifetime. We normally loose, on average, 100 hairs each day.

* About 8 million men and at least 2 million women in the UK have hair loss problems.

* The commonest cause of hair loss in men is male pattern baldness, affecting the crown and temple regions. This is often a genetic predisposition the age a father lost his hair will indicate when his sons might loose theirs. The male hormone, testosterone, strongly influences baldness eunuchs (castrated men) don't suffer baldness!

* The commonest type of hair loss in women is alopecia, where hair comes out in clumps, causing bald patches, which may just affect areas `alopecia areata', or the whole body `alopecia universalis'.

* Hair thinning can result from disease, such as thyroid problems, anaemia, diabetes, hayfever, eczema, asthma, high fevers, and from medications eg amitriptyline (antidepressant), betablockers (used in angina, high blood pressure, and palpitations), warfarin(anticoagulant) and cytotoxic drugs used in cancer treatment.

* Occasionally, hair loss can occur during pregnancy, at the menopause, whilst dieting, during times of great stress, after major surgery and whilst on the oral contraceptive pill.

* The drug minoxidil (Regaine), when applied daily to male pattern bald patches can stimulate regrowth in about 30% of users. It has to applied daily and if successful must be used for life, as hair loss returns on stopping treatment. It is available from pharmacies costing 25 per months supply. If no regrowth is seen in the first 4 months then it's not going to be successful.

* Several other treatments such as steroid injections into the scalp, steroid lotions rubbed into the scalp, ultra violet radiation and electro magnetic stimulation of the scalp, have been disappointing. Surgery such as transplanting clumps of hair from the back of the neck works but may not be cosmetically pleasing to everyone.

* Recommended reading `Coping with sudden hair loss' by Elizabeth Steel (no relation), published by Thorsons.
IMPORTANT NOTICE : This content is from the Dr Chris Steele personal archive and is provided for convenience only. Information contained here may no longer agree with the most up to date medical advice. Please check with a medical professional before taking any action.

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